We recently connected with Jenn Beach and have shared our conversation below.
Jenn, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
The goal from the beginning was to create a self sustaining business that would fully support me financially; not only meeting my basic needs but fully support my lifestyle as well. Leveraging your creative work to that level doesn’t come without its sacrifices. It’s a dreamy idea, but the reality can be really disheartening. I’m lucky enough now to say that I’ve achieved both of those goals, but it was a journey to get here.
Adjusting my lifestyle in order to live within my means was the first step to leveling up. Re-investing all of my proceeds back into my business was the next step. That meant saying no to a lot of invitations from friends and family in order to secure the capital that I needed to buy what I needed to expand my business.
The willingness to accept the opinions and criticisms of others was a huge hurdle for me. Any artist can attest that putting your work out there is like putting your heart on display, and it’s not always going to be received the way that you envisioned. Learning not to take that personally is imperative because you are running a business. In my case that means that some people are going to want to change the menu. Some people are going to challenge the absence of animal proteins on my menu. Other clients are going to tell me that they’re strictly gluten free and then ask for the fresh pasta option during dinner. The ability to pivot, take the feedback with a grain of salt, and not coddle my ideas as if they’re fragile artifacts create the professional foundation where I stand on my business.
The expansion of my business relies heavily on networking, interpersonal connections and word of mouth. I focus on making myself visible in the spaces and communities that I want to cultivate work. This method has been so successful because it inspires genuine connection and authentic relationships; creating a space where people want to work with me. I love saying that going to work is just throwing a party with my friends. Because at this point, that’s what it feels like.
I’m not really sure that I could have sped up the process knowing what I know now. Trusting the process is what got me here, so I try not to think too much about how different my story could be.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Those of use who worked in food service call it, “the industry,” and I’ve been in the industry since high school. It wasn’t until I had worked my way through various restaurants and event centers that I started to dip into the world of wellness and naturopathic healing.
When I first started out being a private chef had not yet been sensationalized by social media. It was very rare for someone to reach out to me for a one time event like a birthday or bachelorette party. My client base was pretty narrow. Either they were extremely wealthy with a fully staffed household, or they had severe dietary ailments and food sensitivities that made their day to day very difficult.
I started researching these conditions and concentrating on the relationship between the human body and the modern diet. All of these conditions were born and exasperated as a result of inflammation caused by eating the wrong foods. In all of these cases, I used individualized diet plans that omitted the clients list of inflammatory foods. This strict regimen not only reduced the discomfort and side effects my clients were suffering from; they were eliminated. Healing was finally able to manifest and flourish.
At this juncture, the relationship between food and the body as I saw it was very cut and dry. I was implementing my research from a purely scientific based standpoint. The food related triggers and reactions within the body are fascinating and resolute. But I began to realize that there another ingredient so to speak that I had been overlooking- the transfer of energy.
When you choose to eat local products, they won’t carry the hectic energy of transportation- or the stale energy of preservation techniques. The way that they are grown and cared for matters as well. Plants absorb energetic frequencies just like sunshine and carbon dioxide. A very basic principal of energy is that it cannot be created or destroyed. It attaches and detaches and it moves and transfers. It’s silly to think that this doesn’t apply to the food that you eat. There is a transfer of energy when a product is grown, harvested, distributed, prepared and served. You consume that energy and digest it like through your entire being as a whole.
As I cook for my clients, I take this energy transfer into account. When they eat my food, I don’t only want them to feel the nourishment from eating balanced meals that work with their bodies, but I want them to feel the love as well.
Wether I’m cooking for a wellness retreat, meal planning, private dinner parties or a cooking class, I try to emphasize these points as much as I can to inspire my clients to look inward and truly embody the connection between their food and themselves.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
It is very important to me that my work is a vessel to carry out my purpose. This means rejecting anything that doesn’t align with my business. I do this to preserve the integrity of my craft and also to avoid burnout.
This could be an inquiry for a client that I just know isn’t going to work out. There are some clear tells for people who aren’t well matched to work with. That’s anyone who sends me an inquiry without looking at my services. A request that is very animal-protein forward is not something that I would expect in my inbox as that’s not my speciality. All Chefs are not one-size fits all. While most can produce whatever menu that you provide them; they won’t be as enthusiastic as a Chef who offers that type of cuisine. It goes back to the transfer of energy. I don’t want to cook for clients who don’t appreciate my style of food. And they may not realize it- but the client doesn’t want a Chef who is only there for a payout.
The same goes for clients who don’t align. A bad client will suck the life right out of you. These are the clients that don’t respect my craft, my time, or my pricing. Remaining picky about my clientele and setting clear boundaries about how I run my business helps to hold space for the right clients. This goes against the hustler mentality- because sometimes I’m turning down big money in order to stay true to myself. It’s hard to make that make sense when every penny counts.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My mission is to convey the connection between the body, mind and spirit through the way we eat. A very digestible and surface level practice for doing this is only eating while you eat. This means turning off the screens and removing the distractions. Allow your mind to recognize the sensations going on in your mouth, or your throat, or your internal temperature. With this practice you are connecting the body with the mind. Overtime, maybe you will notice the spirit connect as well. It could be an overwhelming sense of self love when you nourish yourself with good food. But it’s not something that I can explain. It’s only something that can be found with practice and intention.
Through my personal food journey, I found that changing my diet led to changing my entire mentality over time. It creates a snowball effect of information and application. When you start paying attention to what you put into your body and the reactions that occur, it sparks the interest to create balance. Perhaps then you will consider what goes on your body. The topicals and sprays and lotions that absorb through your skin and into your blood. What goes on around your body?Think about your relationships, friendships, daily interactions, and purchases.
Adding an element of mindfulness and intention will make you consider just a little bit more as you move through the world. I want to be able to help others harness this power and realize that they are in control. When something feels off- they will seek balance instead of letting bad health happen to them.
It starts with little seeds of information that I share with my clients during wellness events, dinner parties, and cooking classes to inspire curiosity. That way they can begin their own journey to balanced health.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whatscookinbeach.com
- Instagram: @whatscookinbeach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatscookinbeach
Image Credits
Nemari Photography